Multiple-cylinder explosive-engine.



. Patented Sept. I0, |901.

S. W. ZENT.

MULTIPLE CYLINDER EXPLOSIVE ENGINEv [Application filed Aug. 10, 1397.)

(No lndel.)

gjttttw No. 682,583. Patented sept. lo, |901. s. w. zENT.

ULTIPLE CYLNDEB EXPLUSIVE ENiINEA (Applicatien lad Aug. 10, 1897.)

2 sheets-shut 2Q (lo Model.)

uvantoz G om 1513 UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

SCHUYLER W. ZENT, OF MARlON, OHIO.

MULTIPLE-CYLINDER EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,583, dated September 10, 1901.

Application filed August 10, 1897. SerialNo. 647,752. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SCHUYLER W. ZENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gasolene-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas-engines, and has for one of its objects to provide an engine having two cylinders so connected that the nplosion shall be simultaneous in both.

Another object of my invention is to projvide an engine in which the explosion takes flace with every revolution.

Another object of my invention is to pro- Vide an engine in which the explosion in the bdo cylinders shall be balanced.

Another object of my invention is to provide an engine in which'the motion of the two istons shall be balanced.

These objects I accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter more fully described in detail, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-letters indicate like parts in all the gures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is aside central vertical section of same. Fig. 3 is a front central vertical section of same.

My invention consists of an engine having two cylinders C and C', placed upright one above the other, with a partition C2 between them. The upper and lower cylinders C C and pistons P P' are shown of the same size; but, if desired, the upper cylinder C and piston P may be made of greater length than the lower cylinder and piston for the purpose of allowing the piston in the upper cylinder a longer stroke than the piston in the lower cylinder to allow sufficient time for the residue or charge in the upper cylinder to burn out. The pistons P and P are tted to the cylinders C and C', respectively. The pistonrod p is pivotally connected with lche crank b of the crank-shaft B, and the piston-rod p is rigidly secured to or made integral with the cross-piece p", to the ends of which crosspiece p. the connecting-rods 19" 13 are pivotally connected. The other ends of said connecting-rods 19" p'f.' are pivotallyconnected with the cranks b b of the crank-shaft B. The said cranks b', which, as before stated, are connected to the piston P', are longer than the crank which connects with piston P, and in view of this fact the piston P has agreater length of stroke than the piston P, and this diii'erence in stroke allows sucient time for the residue of the charge in the cylinder C to burn out before the piston P' arrives at the end of its stroke. Just at the head of the upper cylinder C is a small opening c' into the valve-chamber D,in which is the springvalve having the stem d operated by the arm d", which is pivotally mounted on the outside of said engine and worked by the rod cl'", which is connected with an eccentric on the crank-shaft B, so adjusted that the arm d will open the valve d a little before the pistons P and P' have made their full travel toward the partition or head C2 of the cylinders C and C', and close the valve d as the pistons P and P begin to withdraw from the point at which the piston-heads are nearest together and almost instantly after the explosion has taken place. The valvechamber D has an opening cZ" into the valvechamber E, in which the suction valve e Works. The chamber E has a needle-valve e' for the admission of gasolene and an opening e" in its bottom for the admission of air. The gasolene is admitted either by pump or gravity. The admission of gasolene through the needle-valve e is controlled by a springvalve'f in valve-chamber F, connected with the rod f', which is lifted by the arm fl, one end of which is connected with the rod f", having a roller f1 at its lower end. The point ff on the sleeve f8 of the governor is adapted to contact with the roller j' 10 and move it downward at each revolution of said sleeve when the engine is moving at its normal speed; but should the speed become eX- cessive the sleeve will be drawn toward the balance-Wheel and beyond or out of line with the roller fw, and consequently wouldfailto contact with the same,- and as this wouldstop the operation of the valve f the gasolene-feed would stop,and consequently the speed ofthe engine would be decreased and the governor would move the point fg of the sleeve again into contact with the pulley f1", and thereby again operate the valve f and resume the feeding of gasolene. Justat the head of the cylinder C is on one side au opening connected with the valve-chamber D when the valve d is opened, and on the other side is an opening into the exhaust-valve chamber G, in which is a spring exhaust-valve g, operated by the arm g', which is pivotally mounted on the outside of said engine and one end of which is connected by the rod g" with an eccentric on the crank-shaft B and so adjusted that the valve g is opened when the pistons P and P' arefarthest apart. An electric sparkerf15 or the ordinary firing-tu be in use on gasoleneengines maybe used to explode the gasolene in the upper cylinder C.

The operation of my improved engine is as follows: The parts of said engine being in the relative positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the engine is started, which causes the pistons to move away from each other, the upper piston P' moving upward and the lower piston P moving downward, and as the upper piston P' moves upward it lifts the valve e by suction from its seat and draws the mixed gasolene and air through the opening or port d at the top of chamber E, thence through the opening c into the upper cylinder C'. As the pistons move toward each other, the upper piston P moving downward and the lower piston P moving upward, the rod d'" is moved upward by means of the eccentric at the lower end thereof mounted on shaft B, which causes the end of arm d" to press the valve d downward off of its seat, and when the upper piston has made about threequarters of its downward stroke it will have forced part of the charge of gasolene through Y the opening or port d* into the lower cylinder C. The electric sparker is then operated, and the port d* being open the explosion of the gasolene in the cylinders C C' is simultaneous, and thereby a balanced or equal pressure is exerted on each of the pistons and the force of said explosion drives the pistons away from each other or toward the open ends of the cylinders. Immediately after the explosion the valve e closes by gravity, and the valve d is closed by the end of arm d" releasing its pressure thereon, and the gas which remains in the cylinder C forces the piston P downward. Then the rod g is moved downward by means of the eccentric on the lower end thereof mounted on shaft B, which causes the end of arm g to press the valve g upward olf its seat and permits the said gas in the cylinder C to exhaust through the port 9*, after which the said port is closed again by the valve g. The small residue of gas left in the cylinder C after the explosion burns out and creates a vacuumtherein which, in connection with the suction of the upper piston, raises the valve e again from its seat and draws in a new charge of gasolene into the cylinder C through the port d"" and opening c'. Then as the pistons P and P return the same operation is repeated. The valve controlling the admission of gasolene to the engine is opened more or less frequently,accordingly as the speed of the y or balance wheel is increased or diminished, until when the engine is working at full power and the ily-wheel is making the greatest number of revolutions it is opened with every revolution of the ilywheel. The balance-wheel governor f" consists of two arms f5f5, pivotally secured near their centersr in elongated slots f* in two opposite spokes of the balance-wheel, saidrarms f5f5 having weights fj"s on their outer ends and their inner ends bent toward the crankshaft B and moving in an annulargrooveffin a sleevefs,which slides on the crank-shaft B. Said sleeve f8 is furnished with a projecting point fg, which as the governor f"" movesthe sleeve fa strikes the pulley fw, regulated by the spring f and secured by the nutf13 on the rodf'".

No claims have been made in this application for the speed regulator or governor, as it has been reserved for a separate application.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ist.

1. In a gas-engine, two coacting cylinders placed in alinement one above the other, pis# tons in said cylinders, a channel connecting said cylinders,a valvein said channel adapted to open the same to admit the combustiblecharge supplied to the upper cylinder into: the lower cylinder and keep said channel open until the explosion of said combustibley charge,and to close said channel immediately, aft-er said explosion, and means of igniting the combustible charge in said upper cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a gas-engine, two coacting cylinders placed in alinemen't one above the other, pistons working in said cylinders and connected with the crank-shaft of said engine, a valve operated by the suction of the piston in said upper cylinder on its forward stroke, said valve admitting the combustible charge to said upper cylinder, said piston in said uppencylinder opening said valve and ldraw- Y ing said combustible charge into said upper cylinder by suction; a channel connecting said cylinders, a valve adapted to open said channel and admit the combustible charge into the lower cylinder and to leave said channel open until said combustible charge is exploded, and to close said channel immediately after said explosion; and means for igniting said combustible charge in said upper cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a gas-engine, two coacting cylinders one above the other provided with a partition between them, pistons working in said cylinders from opposite directions, the upper piston connected with the driving-shaft by a cross-head and connectin g-rods, and the lower piston by a piston-rod, a port adapted to establish communication between the interiorsV of said cylinders, a spring-controlled valve seated in said port adapted to be opened as` thc pistons approach the partition, a suctionvalve operated by the upper piston and adapted to adlnitgas to the upper cylinder, a springcontrolled valve adapted. to admit the gasolene into the supply-reservoir, a governor to operate the same,a spring-con trolled exhaustvalve adapted to be opened as the pistons start on their forward stroke, and means for igniting the combustible charge, substantially as shown and described.

4. A gasolene-engine provided with upper and lower cylinders in alinement With each other, each provided with a piston, a gasolenereceiving` chamber, a spring-valve for controlling the feed of gasolene thereto, and means for operating said valve once at every revolution of the engine, an air and gasolene mixing chamber connected to said receivingchamber and provided withJ gravity-valve, and means for operating said pistou and raising said gravity-Valve by suction and thereby admitting gasolene to the upper cylinder,

a valve for establishing communication between said cylinders, and a valve for exhausting the products of combustion from the lower cylinder, substantiallyas shown and described.

5. In a gas-engine provided with two cylinders one above the other, a partition separating the same, provided with a valve for establishingcommuncation between said cylinders, pistons working from opposite ends of the cylinders toward said partition, a crosshead connected with the upper piston, and connecting-rods connecting said cross-heads with cranks on the driving-shaft, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereto ax my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

SCHUYLER W. ZENT.

Vit-nesses:

CLAY WHITE, L. REBER.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 682,583, granted September l0, 190i upon the application of Schuyler Zent, of Marion, Ohio7 for an improvement in Multiple-Cylinder Explosive-Engines, errors appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: Page l., line 87, the reference letter f should read f", and page 3, line 35, the compound Word cross-heads should read cross-head; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to 'the record of' the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 24th day ofSepteniber, A. D., 1901.

[SEAL] F. L. CAMPBELL,

Assistcmt Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned F. I. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 682,583.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 682,5S3,grz1nted September 10, 190], .-4 upon the application 0f' Schuyler W. Zent, of Marion, Ohio, for :1n improvement in i Wultiple-Cylinder Explosive-Engines, errors appedrs, in the printed specification requiring eorreetin, as follows: Paige l, line 87, the reference letter f" should read j, md page 3, line 35, the compound word cross-heath should read cross-head;

and that the said Letters Patent should be reful with these corrections therein that the seme may conform to the record of' the cese in the Patent Oliiee.

Signed, eountersigned, and Sealed this 24th (lay 0f September, A. D., 190i. g

Couutersigned F. I. ALLEN,

Cmmnissioner of Patellis. 

